EL SEGUNDO, Calif., 7 July 2008. Raytheon delivered its 100th APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system to Boeing and the U.S. Navy for use on F/A-18 and EA-18G aircraft.

The company marked the occasion with a ceremony July 1 that attracted senior customers and local dignitaries to its Consolidated Manufacturing Center in Forest, Miss.

The first operational deployment of an APG-79-equipped F/A-18 Super
Hornet Block II squadron is in progress. The first EA-18G Growler to sport the radar was delivered to the Navy last month.

"The outstanding performance of our APG-79 systems in the fleet continues to exceed expectations," says Capt. Mark Darrah, F/A-18 program manager. "Boeing and Raytheon have provided warfighters with a cutting-edge radar that is already demonstrating phenomenal performance along with unprecedented levels of reliability, which is critical for combat operations. This sensor backbone of the F/A-18 and EA-18G helps take the aircraft to the next level of capability we need at home and abroad."

Raytheon is under contract to deliver 437 of the systems to the Navy.
The company's sophisticated multi-role APG-79 is the radar of choice for the F-15C, F-15E, F/A-18E/F, and EA-18G. It is approved for export to such international customers as Singapore and Australia and is a candidate for the F/A-18 entry in India's fighter competition.

"The AESA radar is a critical element in the integrated sensor fusion on the Super Hornet," says Bob Gower, Boeing's vice president for F/A-18 programs.